Implantable medical devices (IMDs) detect and deliver therapy for a variety of medical conditions in patients. Exemplary IMDs include implantable pulse generators (IPGs) or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). ICDs include a circuit that detects abnormal heart rhythms and automatically delivers therapy to restore normal heart function. An ICD circuit includes, inter alia, a battery, a capacitor, and a control module. The battery supplies power to the control module and the capacitor. The control module controls electrical therapy delivered to a patient. For example, the control module signals a switch, coupled to the capacitor, to open or close, which controls whether energy is released by the capacitor. The capacitor delivers bursts of electric current through a lead that extend from the ICD to myocardial tissue of the patient.
Electrolytic capacitors (e.g. tantalum, aluminum etc.) are typically used since these capacitors attain high energy density in a low volume package. Generally, a tantalum electrolytic capacitor's formation voltage is typically three to four times the capacitor's rated voltage. See, John Gill, Basic Tanatlum Capacitor Technology, AVX Journal, p.3.